she is married to a farmer, 50, for 25 years, has four children and is unhappy – more does not want to enter. We call her Hanna. Your husband does not acknowledge your work, it works between the two, he takes her the air of life.

Hanna has calculated the scenario of divorce again and again. Yard and children: difficult. Add to this the dire financial consequences. Hanna has always worked, but never pay to get into a personal pension scheme paid up. In contrast to her husband: The retirement capital runs to his name. Hanna’s financial future alone would be uncertain. A goods, a legal dispute would also bring the farm in the wrong location and a Hofübernahme of your own child is difficult. A Dilemma. Hanna has considered, and decided: no divorce.

Not all farmers do it like Hanna. More and more frequently, they divorce. 20 years ago Bauernehen were statistically more stable, the divorce rates are much lower than in ordinary marriages. Today, these have moved closer to the Swiss average of 50 per cent: Roughly every second marriage breaks down.

divorce and then social assistance,

stations, Almost three-quarters of the 45’693 on the Swiss peasant women work for free and are considered as inactive. You are not entitled to unemployment compensation, and maternity leave, but only a pension with a minimum pension. After a divorce, this means: no money, no job, poor prospects. When farming ensure the phone more and more calls were received in the past few years, the search this topic to the Council. The women concerned know that In the worst case, you end up in social assistance.

“These cases, I know, there are many,” says Christine Bühler, a farmer in Tavannes, 7500 chickens, 26 cows. It puffs a breath through the phone handset, which sets the tone for the Situation in which the President of the farmers and the country women’s Association is already longer. For eight years she has been fighting to ensure that farmers get a wage, that they receive social protection that you need at the end of no social assistance. She has been on strike with trade unionists, and tens of articles written, and tries to convince her male colleagues. It helped a little.

“We can’t prescribe but every farmer that he must pay for his family.”Markus Ritter

but Now things are in motion. The Federal Council recommends, in his report to the agricultural policy of 2022, the direct payments to the payment of social benefits for Hofmitarbeitende be linked. Who has not insured his wife’s social (Pension and benefits), will get no money from the Federal government. Boom. “A bomb in the chicken coop”, and calls it Christine Buhler. You know what most of the male colleagues of the plans of the Federal Council:.

What is the farmer’s President of the Association of proposal think? He has to laugh. In the first place. Attention-Catching Question, Care Stumbling Block. Markus Ritter, a farmer in Altstätten SG, 26 cows, 3 ewes, 10 colonies of bees, is aware of the sensitivity of the wage question – he does not want to scare the farmers. He says that he could not give a consolidated opinion of the farmer’s Association on the subject, because we are in the middle of the consultation process, and to get the positions of all 85 of the peasants associations. The same knight said in November, the NZZ: “We can’t require every farmer that he must pay for his family.” The CVP national Council, wants that each farmer can decide for yourself. He is usually not as a liberal, but here he could not help it. “Many farms are already up and running on the last PIP, as it is difficult, yet an additional wage to pay off.” In fact, according to the research Institute agroscope is still a large number of farms with a net income of CHF 50 ‘000. Often have debt in the six figures.

“It is a lot of”: Christine Bühler from the farmers Association. Photo: Keystone

The farmers ‘ Association seems to be so torn, he’s clinging to an opinion. This is also reflected in the three selection options, the knight in the consultation process to its members, shall submit: a) approval of the Federal Council; b) deletion of the criterion; c) limitation on indemnity insurance.

speaks The longer the knight, the clearer his mind is. Certainly not a). Knight assured his wife, although the full extent. Really convincing, he does not find the proposal of the Federal Council. “It is surprising”, says it to him. “There are not even all the women behind this proposal.” Actually: Self campaigner Christine Bühler finds him “rather suboptimal”. Rather than that, you would be the link at less existential amounts. For example, the Federal proposed operating contribution of around 5000 Swiss francs. This would take the debate to the pressure. You know that there are women in your Association who are against a wage obligation. “This opinion you may have,” says Buhler. You want to finally see results, they want the wage obligation in the law.

About Bühler in these weeks to travel frequently to Berne to the Federal house. With the national councillors, Maya Graf (Green) and Alice Glauser (SVP) has found two politicians who share the urgency of the matter. “This is not a question of whether it is left or right,” says Glauser, a farmer in Champvent VD, 25 cows, and many grape vines. “It is a question of the rights of woman.” For this, the men do not seem to be interested in. “The men are not very present,” says Glauser. Then you have to laugh. Your not a citizen, a man who advertises for your concern. “The men squirm,” says Buhler. Everything sounds tough and tedious.

“Surprising” in: Markus Ritter, the top Builder in Switzerland. Photo: Keystone

If you listen to Maya Graf, sounds the different. Optimistic and confident. Graf is co-owner of an organic farm, livestock and fruit operation, also Co-President of Alliance F, the Swiss women’s umbrella Association. “I am convinced that something is happening,” she says. You can feel the restraint in your environment, in addition, the farmer Association could not keep out of the way. Bühler and Glauser fees a lot of respect. “You make the back-breaking work, you have to daily convince farmers and politicians with a more conservative view of the world of this necessity.” The count demands that the social security will be subject to the direct payments. The associations Bio Suisse and IP-Suisse support this. Graf also know that the political process will take. It expects two years of discussions and concessions.

“The women!”

In the gender equality debate of the peasants play with the clichés and traditions. Men sayings such as “The women!”, as well as the gentle breaking of role images, which is violent for some of the farmers already. In this field of tension the two heads of Bühler and knight are trying to convey. The two like each other, they say. Both see in agriculture, the intellectual Foundation of Switzerland, to tell you. However, the issue of women separating them. Buhler says that she, for once, all about Detail, but about principle. Knight says that you have recognized the Problem and a solution search.

Hanna, the 50-year-old farmer, can’t afford a divorce, you will benefit from it. At the farmers schools but, in the meantime, after all, the future farmers are informed of their weak social protection. For example, in landquart, in the case of a teacher, Fabiola Merk, not a farmer, but agricultural scientist and a lawyer. Ten times four lessons, sit the students in her classroom and know of the possible consequences of a divorce. The first response of prospective farmers: “Yeah.” And: “you are so unromantic!” Merk responds, that any romantic Phase will be replaced by another. “I think you have understood it,” she says.

Indeed, the number of farmers who Deposit money into the pension scheme increases. However, the 40 – to 60-Year-olds, the main risk group according to Merk, to be secured poorly. The teacher asks her class if you want to tell this newspaper of your thoughts on the wage issue. You don’t want to. Too sensitive.

In four weeks of the farmers ‘ Union sums up his Parole. All are tensed.

(editing Tamedia)

Created: 28.01.2019, 08:42 PM